Summer Sessions: July Summary

A lot has happened within the hangar
despite the heat of the summer, and for optional sessions, good
turnouts have meant incredible progress!

The fuel tank skins have all been
attached along with the miscellaneous parts (e.g. the return lines,
valves, gauge). Fuel testing was done, the leaks were spotted and
fixed, and now the tank is officially sealed up and complete! With
the air lines fabricated, the next step will be to fit it inside the
fuselage.

One particularly exciting feature
currently being installed is the Garmin avionics system! The plane
now contains a Garmin G3X Touch display. This is a brand new system,
never been used before in any of the previous builds. Since it is a
new feature, instructions are being made as we go along installing
it, which results in a great deal of time and effort to get it all
set-up.

Work continued on the cowling,
specifically in fitting and sanding the piece, but also in the oil
door assembly. The camlocks were installed, but the door and hinge
have yet to be riveted together. The wheel and nose fairings came
sometime in mid-July, so students were busy deburring and sanding
down those parts. Landing gear received some adjustments and the
brake lines were attached. Next step will be fitting the fairings.

Towards the end of July, some students
and mentors were rushing to get ready for the big Airventure Oshkosh
event! Like the previous year, plans were made to have the TF1 plane
on display, so that meant modifications and inspections. The fuel
tank had to be modified with a new fuel gauge, so students and
mentors were on the clock to try and get the tank altered and running
smoothly before embarking on its over 2,000 mile journey.

Wow! July sure kept everyone busy. Stay
tuned to see what August has in store.